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Members of the IU Health Foundation prepare 1,200 mugs with hot cocoa as part of the “Hot Cocoa to-Go” program at Riley Hospital for Children Thursday. The program is designed to bring comfort and gratitude to frontline team members and clinicians. Hot cocoa and mugs started being distributed on Jan. 18 at various IUH hospitals, and will continue through next week as part of the Tranquility Space efforts. 11,000 cocoa mugs will be shared during the month of February. Riley team members were treated to their gifts from 6:30pm through 8:30pm Thursday. View the full story on our Facebook page.
It hasn’t been a straight path, but James Brewer is nearing the finish line to a career in nursing. Brewer enrolled at IU on a pre-med track. But something kept pulling him closer to hands-on patient care. 17 years ago, he became an EMT and began working with the Chesterfield Fire Department. He worked for the department while he was pursing an administrative role in health care. “I knew I wanted to be more hands-on in direct patient care,” said Brewer. Just as the world became gripped by COVID-19, Brewer joined forces as an EMT for IU Health LifeLine. “I went from a job that had me seeing statistics in patient care to actually helping people,” said Brewer. “With LifeLine, you get a 911 call and you see firsthand someone recovering from COVID. I feel like I’m part of those results and that is rewarding.” Through his work with LifeLine he also has the support of team members as he pursues a degree in nursing and it has helped Brewer decide that he wants to work in critical care. “I have a heart for patients in ICU and emergency. I think it’s where I need to be working in bedside care.
Elizabeth O’Conner, RN on the stem cell unit at Riley Hospital for Children, spends her time away from the unit volunteering in Riley’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic. “I’ve been working a lot in the clinic because I’m all about people getting the vaccine,” she said. “Older people are very happy to come in; they roll their sleeve right up and they’re ready to go.” As of today, people 65 and older, in addition to healthcare workers and first responders, are eligible to receive the vaccine. O’Conner’s own parents were vaccinated last month. “It makes you feel good because that’s the population that needs it the most.” As of last week, Riley had passed the 10,000 mark in vaccines administered. In all, IU Health has given more than 100,000 COVID vaccines.
For the first time since the pandemic began those over the age of two must present that negative result to get home. If not, you won’t be able to board the plane. Dr. Cole Beeler, who is the Medical Director of Infection Prevention at IU Health, believes this comes from recent airline transmissions of the virus.
Medical professionals across the country are being vaccinated against COVID-19. For Dr. Gabriel Bosslet, a pulmonologist in Indianapolis, it was a day he'll never forget. He spoke with Side Effects Public Media's Carter Barrett, before getting the vaccine - and just hours after the first dose.
IU Health doctor and COVID-19 survivor, Mark Williams, is being recognized for his work on the frontlines and is being nominated for the first American Lung Association COVID-19 Healthcare Hero award.
Jeremy Simon, Neuroscience Center Clinic Supervisor, calls medical assistants the âboots on the ground of the outpatient setting,â and his team agrees. âThey help the clinic run fully from the front to the back,â said medical assistant Foronda Coleman.
The building which houses the IU Health Virtual Care COVID-19 Screening Clinic has new beautiful window paintings in support of IU Health team members and all healthcare heroes. The 'gratitude graffiti" was painted on the windows on November 20. (Mike Dickbernd)
As we enter the holiday season and some may let their guard down, respiratory therapist Douglas Sparks says the pandemic isn't even close to being over with. "What you have to do is wear a mask, stay out of a crowded room, and be smart," Sparks said.
"Regardless of whether or not a COVID-19 patient had pre-existing diabetes or not, 'people with COVID-19 had much higher blood glucose levels' at a degree that Khare said was incomparable to any other kind of stress or infection... so IU Health decided to look into a solution for monitoring glucose levels while minimizing the number of times a nurse would have to go into a patient's room. They decided to launch a pilot program among inpatients with Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitor, which is FDA approved for outpatient use. "
